Perhaps the only thing that changes more rapidly than technology in today's amped-up digital environment is the terminology used to describe that technology and its impact on consumers--and marketers. One recent example is the advent of the term "omnichannel" marketing, which many struggle to differentiate from another relatively recent term--"multichannel" marketing. Still, those who are most enmeshed in the field say there is a key distinction between the two, and it's one that will have an impact on marketers as they continue to seek ways of having a meaningful impact on the consumers they hope to engage. And, importantly, it's less about technology than it may seem.

Job Function: Brevig’s primary responsibility is to ensure that AstraZeneca obtains the best value from its external spending on published information content, which he achieves by taking a strategic approach to information acquisition. "I lead a number of teams with responsibilities for developing and implementing information acquisition strategies within a number of areas," says Brevig. He says, "Our strategy is to consolidate AstraZeneca’s content spend" across the global organization. One way of doing this is to provide an online platform for ordering, which the company plans to launch shortly.

Brevig, who speaks Danish, English, German, and French, says his leadership of global teams, including one that focuses on spending for scientific journals and another for econtent used in the library function, means that he works with people across the organization. "My job involves leading the teams to proactively look for value opportunities, and then lead implementation projects," he notes. "Another key part of my job is to lead business-as-usual annual renegotiations with vendors. I do this in close collaboration with internal customers," Brevig says.

In A Day’s Work: "There is no such thing as a typical day—my role is so varied." However, most of his activities fall into one of the following categories: team leadership, reporting and networking, key negotiations, and tactical "business-as-usual" activities. "When I arrive at work at 8:00 a.m. I may start the day by planning for an upcoming team meeting, for example by retrieving relevant spend data and other information," he says. "I may then have a negotiation session scheduled with a supplier for late morning, which I need to prepare for. Early afternoon I may need to report savings and discuss them with Finance. Mid- afternoon the team meeting I prepared for earlier takes place, followed by a project meeting. … And then I also need to find some time to review three draft agreements."

Most Memorable Customer Encounter: "I convinced an internal customer to try using an online auction for the first time to invite bids for translation services."

View From The Desk: "I am located on an R&D site, where I share a corner office with a colleague. From my office I have a view of the parking lot and other buildings on the site."

Outside Interest: "Spending time with my young family and traveling to interesting places. I have traveled extensively in southern Africa."

If Not Econtent, Then What? "I would like to own and operate a safari lodge in Africa—great weather, fantastic nature, and a laid-back lifestyle. What's not to like?"